New member, buying a notebook, need your help/advice!

[aybalit]

Hello everyone,

I am in the process of purchasing a laptop. I am looking for a "mainstream" type notbeook; that is, it doesn't have to be ultraportable, and it doesn't have to be a total gaming system. Something in between would be nice. I have been looking at a few different notebooks, notably the IBM R40 series. I can get an excellent deal on one (through an IBM employee purchase program), but now that I have found a forum that has people far more knowledgeable than myself on the topic of computers/laptops, I would like some advice. In general, I am looking for the following specs to be a part of the notebook, which should cost ~$1000-1400, US dollars. Here is the notebook I am looking at from IBM:

IBM R40 (2897B4U)
Processor type Pentium M
Processor speed 1400 MHz
Processor cache 1024 KB
Display (Std) 15.0 inch XGA (1024x768) TFT Display
24X/10X/24X/8X Max CD-RW/DVD-ROM Combo IV Ultrabay 2000 Drive
ATI Radeon 7500 32mb 4xAGP
Hard drive(40gb) type EIDE
10/100 Ethernet and 56K V.92 designed modem
Memory 256 MB DDR 2100
Intel PRO/Wireless Network Connection 802.11b
Operating system Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Optical drive DVD/CDRW Combo IV


All this for @1304.00

Comes with a 1 year warranty, and it's an IBM, so quality is top notch.

Are there notebooks that you can recommend that are like this one/better, that cost as much/less/slightly more that are as reliable as IBM notebooks? Remember, I need a laptop mostly as a desktop replacement. It will go to libraries at college, friend's houses, etc. but mostly it will be at home and sometimes in the car to diagnose things. Let me know what you think please, and if I can do better.

P.S. My current desktop is an OLD (like, 5 years almost) Gateway P3 550 with slow ram, a VooDoo 3 16mb video card, and 30gb of total hard drive space. So, gaming on this rig has been secondary to the Xbox

Thanks much!

 

[labrat25]

if you're looking for a standard system (nothing fancy) then get that...

dell and hp have cheaper basic systems and then spend the extra 100 bucks for built in combo drives and wifi

so unless you really like that system, IMO get a dell or hp and save the 300 bucks (but i tend to be cheap, so get what's best for you)

 

[ai42]

I really think you need to look at what you are going to do with this laptop.

Are you going to game on it at all? Or Office/Internet apps?
Are you going to be using it on the road a lot? For exended periods of time?
If you take it on the road how careful (or not careful) are you with your laptop?

Honestly I would suggest the Gateway m505x if your looking at the R40, its pretty much the same spec as that R40, but with widescreen display, Radoen 9600 graphics, and just a really nice design, and about $1400.

For a basic not very mobile internet/office apps I'd go with like a Dell Inspiron 1100 which you can pick up easily for around $700.

 

[aybalit]

Gaming would be minimal. Maybe some CS here and there, or something to pass the time. I have an Xbox for gaming, and I hardly have time for that, let alone my current junker desktop, heh. It will not be on the road a lot, as I am a student. It will be in cafes, libraries, friend's houses, etc. I will probably take it with me if I do travel, but that happens once or twice a year. Mainly, it is a desktop replacement. I looked at the m505x, but it seems to be slightly more expensive, and I am not sure how good the quality of Gateway laptops is. I own an old Gateway desktop and have had the smallest amount of problems possible, but I like the idea of IBM's awesome keyboards, build quality, service and support, and reliability.

Originally posted by: ai42
I really think you need to look at what you are going to do with this laptop.

Are you going to game on it at all? Or Office/Internet apps?
Are you going to be using it on the road a lot? For exended periods of time?
If you take it on the road how careful (or not careful) are you with your laptop?

Honestly I would suggest the Gateway m505x if your looking at the R40, its pretty much the same spec as that R40, but with widescreen display, Radoen 9600 graphics, and just a really nice design, and about $1400.

For a basic not very mobile internet/office apps I'd go with like a Dell Inspiron 1100 which you can pick up easily for around $700.

 

[Frightcrawler]

Gateway M505's have good quality, they are made by Winstron, which makes some of the IBM series.

 

[preslove]

I would not put the IBM R series in the same class as the X and T series. The R only comes with a 1 year standard warranty whereas the x and t series come with 3 years. The R series also are heavy and have a plastic casing instead of metal. For your price range I would look into the gateway m505x (centrino and ati 9600), hp zt3000 (centrino and can be configured up to a wuxga screen), or an emachines 6505 (athlon 64 and ati 9600).